A Rest Well Earned
by Mrmrgriff
Summary: Tatsumi could not keep his promise. As Tatsumi's journey comes to an end, he must come to terms with his death, while reuniting with old friends. Will Tatsumi find peace with those he lost, or will regret consume him? Set after episode 23. Rated T for language
1. The end of a journey

A Rest Well Earned

"Helen, you would just have to sit still, close your eyes and think of me, and I would turn the universe inside out to find you. I would go anywhere and fight anything to get to you—witches, dragons, and even pirates. If I have to pass through a hundred lifetimes, I will do it to find you. I may be an old man and you may be an old woman. You may not even recognize me by the time it happens, but you will know and I will know, because nothing can separate us. We will always be together. I promise you. Now stop worrying."  
― Linda Becker, _Where There Is Love_

Tatsumi was warmer and more comfortable than he had ever been in his life. Despite most of the bones in his body being broken and his blood leaking out of him, there was no pain. A small part of him tried to feel sad, tried to be angry, but instead he just felt content. He had done everything he could, he had done his best.

Shocked, Tatsumi realized that he could see his broken body being cradled by Akame. It was as if he was floating above his body, disconnected from himself. A flash of worry pierced the haze surrounding his consciousness, he was dying. He had promised to survive, Akame needed him! He couldn't die! Not yet!

"He is still so full of himself."

"Thinks he's better than death, huh. Go figure."

Tatsumi was startled to hear two voices he was sure he would never hear again. He whipped his head around and saw a vast wintery forest, and standing on a dirt path right before him was Sayo and Ieyasu with bemused expressions on their faces.

Tatsumi didn't know what to say, "How? What?" he stuttered. Tears started to form in his eyes as his heart was filled with happiness.

"Well that's a first. Tatsumi, lost for words" Sayo smirked.

"Maybe he doesn't recognize you?" Ieyasu quipped, "Now that you're not covered in dirt."

Sayo swiftly launched a precise kick between Ieyasu's legs. "If there had been enough clean water, I would have gladly taken a bath!" Sayo snarled. She continued to mercilessly kick at Ieyasu as he curled into a fetal position to try and avoid Sayo's attacks.

Despite everything that had happened, despite all the pain and loss Tatsumi had gone through today, Tatsumi started to smile. Then he started to laugh. Before long Tatsumi was laughing uncontrollably as he clutched his sides, unable to breath. He was finally reunited with his childhood friends. It was so much like the time before he knew about the Capitals cruelty, back when life was simple. He and his two best friends just enjoying their simple village.

Soon Tatsumi brought himself under control, just as Ieyasu was picking himself off the ground and Sayo was standing at a distance with her arms crossed defiantly across her chest. Tatsumi moved forward and pulled them both into a tight hug. He was so happy to see them again. Sayo and Ieyasu returned his hug, happy that their trio was finally together again.

"We told you we had to go on ahead" Sayo said.

"We just didn't go far" Ieyasu added.

The friends separated from their hug so they could all see each others faces. Sayo and Ieyasu simply smiled at Tatsumi. Tatsumi, however, could only think back to when he had found his friends trapped in one of the capital's many hellholes. He remembered Sayo's mutilated body hanging from hooks and Ieyasu riddled with diseases trapped in a cage. Rage started to fill his heart. All they had wanted was to help their village, to try to make life better. Now they were all dead, killed by a cruel world befiore they had a chance to truly live life. "How can you guys be so happy, you… we lost our lives. The rotten Capital took everything from us." Tatsumi heaved air into his lungs, his body shaking with anger and sadness.

Sayo and Ieyasu looked first at each other and then at Tatsumi. "At first we were a little angry" Sayo admitted.

"But anger didn't bring us any peace and it certainly didn't bring us back to life" Ieyasu had a faraway look in his eye. He seemed to be remembering some things he would rather forget. "We gave up being angry and instead focused on the happy parts of our lives."

"You only get to live so long, you have to be happy with the time you had, you have to accept that you lived your life how you lived it. Nothing can change that." Sayo spoke quietly, but her voice carried a lot of weight. Tatsumi thought back to how happy he had been when he was with his friends. Hanging out with Sayo and Ieyasu, being a member of Night Raid. His life had a lot of painful memories, but he also had so many memories that he would never trade for anything. Tatsumi's anger receded as he digested their words. He looked over his shoulder and saw his body still clutched tightly be Akame. Tatsumi still wanted to run over to her and try to help, to finish the fight they had started, but he realized that he no longer could. There was no longer anyway he could help her. He had to accept that he had tried his best and trust his friend to be okay without him. His anger died down as he accepted that although his dreams were cut short, he was still proud of all he had done, all the people he had helped. Tatsumi had to let go, he had to move on. He turned and faced his friends, "I think I understand. I think I can let go."

Sayo and Ieyasu smiled at Tatsumi. They moved to either side of him and threw their arms across his shoulders. "Come on Tatsumi," Sayo lightly nudged him further down the forest path, "There are a lot of people you still need to see."

Together the trio continued deeper into their forest, just as they had at the beginning of their journey. As they walked the blood and damage from Tatsumi's last battle started to fade, until all signs of the battle erased themselves. They crested the top of a small hill, and for the first and last time Tatsumi turned and looked back the way he had come. He could still make out Akame's form hunched protectively over his own. Silently, Tatsumi made another promise with Akame, "This isn't good bye. We'll see each other again, one day." With that Tatsumi turned and walked down the hill, no longer able to look back.


	2. The Skater

Reasons

_A/N: I am so sorry! This chapter was never supposed to take this long. I ended up rewriting it multiple times and the holidays were super crazy and you guys do not want to hear my excuses. I want everyone to know that I was blown away by how amazing you guys are! I received 10 of the most helpful and encouraging reviews I have ever seen; they filled me with excitement to continue my simple story. I want to thank each and every one of you who reviewed, favorite, followed, or even just read the story. I could write pages of me just individually thanking each person, but I want you guys to see this chapter as soon as possible so I will get on with it. Let me just take care of a few simple things first. _

_ One: this story is heavily inspired by __The Five People You Meet in Heaven__, which is both a phenomenal book and movie. Please read and watch both iterations as they are simply beautiful stories, each noteworthy in their own way. _

_ Two: I will be using the character names from the anime, and not the names from the first couple issues of the manga, for two reasons. One; the anime first introduced me to these amazing characters and, two; these names were announced as the official names by the author himself._

_ Three: I will be trying to update more regularly than I have been, but I can offer no promises as life is kinda hectic right now._

_ And Finally! I hope you guys continue to offer me your support (if you feel I have earned it). It means more to me than you may ever realize!_

_ Without further ado the newest chapter of __A Rest Well Earned_

Tatsumi, Ieyasu, and Sayo continued deeper into the snowy woods. The only sound was the muted crunching of their footsteps in the snow, as each member of the small party silently reviled in their own thoughts. Tatsumi was still struggling with his feelings and his friends wanted to give him time to figure everything out.

Tatsumi was unquestionably happy to see Sayo and Ieyasu, but he couldn't help wondering where his friends from Night Raid were. Were they happy? Would they want to see him again after he failed to finish their fight? Did they even exist in this world?

Unseen by Tatsumi, Sayo and Ieyasu exchanged quick glances. They had a reasonable guess as to what Tatsumi was thinking about, since they had struggled with very similar thoughts when they had first arrived in this new world. Silently they came to an agreement and they both stepped in front of Tatsumi while lightly placing their hands on his chest, bringing him to a stop. Tatsumi was startled from his thoughts and looked questioningly into his friends' faces; he could sense they had something they needed to tell him so he stifled the question that sprung to his mouth.

Sayo gave Ieyasu one last glance and then took a deep breath and exhaled slowly preparing herself for what they had to do, "Tatsumi, this is where we leave you."

Tatsumi was stunned, he opened his mouth to speak, but Ieyasu stopped him, "It's not for forever, but you need to talk to some people, alone. What they have to say is only for you."

As Ieyasu talked he started moving backwards. Tatsumi tried to step towards him, but Sayo kept her hand pressed firmly, but tenderly, against his chest. She shook her head wordlessly, before following after Ieyasu.

Once they were several feet away, Ieyasu stopped and gave Tatsumi a little wave. "Go on, they've been kept waiting long enough." He smiled at Tatsumi, but his eyes had a trace of sadness in them. He knew that Tatsumi needed to take this journey; he also knew that Tatsumi's journey would be painful and difficult. "Just try to remember that not everyone you meet will have answers, some will have questions. We'll see you once you're down." With that Ieyasu turned and joined Sayo, together they walked a few more steps before taking a small bend in the trail where they simply vanished from into the forest.

For several seconds, Tatsumi was simply too stunned to move. He had just found his friends. They wouldn't leave him alone so soon! They couldn't!

Fear and panic started to rise from his gut. Tatsumi slowly jogged forward until he reached the bend that his companions had disappeared around. He looked for his friends desperately, frantically casting his gaze back and forth across the empty forest. "Sayo! Ieyasu!" he called, his cries reverberating in the trees. Tatsumi realized how unsure he was. For so long all he wanted was to protect the innocent, to save those who couldn't save themselves. What was he supposed to do now that he was dead? Where could he go?

Tatsumi ran along the forest path trying to escape the doubts that plagued him. His mind jumped from fear to fear; he could accept the fact that he was dead, but there was so much about his life that he still struggled with. Still so much that he didn't understand. Tatsumi picked up his pace until he was frantically running headlong down the faint trail.

An unseen patch of ice caused Tatsumi's foot to slip and he fell head over heels into a pile of snow. For several minutes Tatsumi simply lay in the snow, wrestling with his thoughts. His mind was so full of questions that he couldn't coherently address each one; they simply stirred and tumbled in his mind, jostling for his attention. Eventually, mercifully, Tatsumi thoughts slowly started to settle until his mind grew quiet; or at least as quiet as it had been in a long time. Despite how long he had been laying in the snow, Tatsumi couldn't fell its chill unless he concentrated on the feeling of the snow upon his skin. Even then the cold was not unpleasant, it was simply a sensation. Oddly enough this fact gave Tatsumi some vestige of comfort. He was starting to figure out his new surroundings. Tatsumi had so many questions about this new world, he was completely at a lost as to what his future held, or what to do next. For several more minutes Tatsumi remained laying in the snow until his anxiety overcame his despair. He knew that he wouldn't solve anything by brooding in a snowdrift. Groaning softly, Tatsumi pushed himself off the ground and brushed the snow from his clothes. He wondered how far off the path he had strayed and Tatsumi gazed with new eyes upon his surroundings. What he saw simply stunned him.

Tatsumi was standing on the edge of an incredibly large, frozen lake. The lake stretched all the way to the horizon, until it melded with the sky. Studding the frozen landscape were huge, intricate towers of ice; like geysers that had been flash frozen at the apex of their eruptions. Tatsumi gazed in wonderment at the scene, unable to look away. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a faint purple smudge gliding across the ice. As the smudge grew closer it slowly sharpened into a person, a skater. The skater slid gracefully in complex patterns, turning and jumping as if to some unheard music. Tatsumi felt reassurance flood his body, he wasn't alone. Excitement filled his heart and he ran, slipping and sliding, across the ice.

"Hello!" he called, "Hey!" but the Skater continued their dance completely absorbed in their own world of speed and skill. As Tatsumi grew closer something about the mysterious figure started tugging on some of his most painful memories. Tatsumi's breath caught in his throat and he finally recognized the Skater.

"Scheele!" Tatsumi's voice caught in his throat, coming out barely louder than a croak, but somehow Scheele finally heard Tatsumi and her head turned to find him. Unfortunately, this happened at the height of one of her jumps, breaking her concentration and causing her to land off balance,ending her dance with a dramatic crash. Scheele continued to slide, sprawled across the ice, her body spinning in lazy circles. Tatsumi ran to her side concern instantly replacing the excitement that had, moments ago, given him hope.

"Scheele!" He dropped to her side and gently pulled her into a sitting position. Scheele was none the worse for wear, but was rubbing her head while softly mewing in discomfort. It took her a few seconds, but she abruptly stopped her complaining and turned to Tatsumi with a light smile adorning her face.

"Good Morning Tatsumi!"


	3. Thank You

Tatsumi held Scheele tightly against his chest. He was afraid that if he loosened his grip, she too would disappear. He couldn't bear the thought of forever wondering this world alone, he wouldn't let that happen, he couldn't. For a long time they simply stayed clinging to each other, as if frozen in place. The entire world remained silent giving these two souls a moment of respite.

"I'm sorry." Scheele's quiet voice pierced the silence that had enshrouded them. He was shocked to realize that her small body was shaking with sobs as tears streamed down her face. "I didn't mean to die. I didn't want to leave you." she whispered in between deep breaths. Slowly, Tatsumi loosened his embrace so he could see her face; the agony that etched across it shocked him. She refused to meet his eyes as she kept her arms wrapped tightly around herself, struggling to control her tears.

Tatsumi pulled Scheele into his arms; he desperately searched for words that would comfort his friend, his mentor. He couldn't imagine how long Scheele had been forced to battle with these horrible doubts. Each of Scheele's sobs tore at Tatsumi's heart; he realized that even in the afterlife there was still so much sorrow.

"It's okay. It's okay." Tatsumi didn't even realize that he was speaking, at some point he had just started muttering mindless words of comfort. "It's okay. It's okay."

Eventually, Scheele lifted her head and met Tatsumi's eyes; tears still stained her face, but she was no longer sobbing uncontrollably. Scheele slowly shook her head, she didn't believe his words. "I was supposed to protect you." Scheele's voice was still so very quiet, but her words cut deep into Tatsumi's soul, "I promised."

Tatsumi took a deep breath to steady himself; he knew had to try and help his friend, but what could he say to save her? Tatsumi closed his eyes, hoping that the words would come to him. And then, he remembered a kiss. He remembered a pink-haired girl. Tatsumi found the words he was searching for. "Thank you."

Tatsumi felt Scheele shift in his arms. He gently released her from his embrace. She pulled back, and finally met his eyes. "But I... I didn't do enough. I just wanted to protect you, protect everyone." Despair still lingered deep in her eyes, threatening to consume her at any moment.

"You saved Mine." Without her sacrifice, Mine would have died that day. He never would have been able to truly get to know Mine. He never would have experienced a happiness so much greater than any pain. He never would have fallen in love. "I can never repay what you did for me."

Scheele seemed unable to accept his words. She had thought that Tatsumi would have been furious for leaving him, for leaving all of them. In her mind, she had failed everyone she ever loved. She had been unable to make her parents proud. She had been unable to save her first true friend. And then she had failed Night Raid, her family. She didn't deserve happiness. She hadn't even been able to face anyone from her life yet. She had just wandered this frozen plane, searching for solace. Scheele pushed away from Tatsumi; she stood on shaky feet and backed away. "No! No! I couldn't save her! She died! I should have been there! I should have been there!" As Scheele finally vented the pain she had kept hidden inside of herself, the world she had created began to mirror her inner turmoil. One of the massive frozen pillars shattered with a deafening boom. Huge pieces of ice fell upon the frozen lake and punched giant holes through its surface, revealing the water that had been lurking beneath. Cracks formed along the ice, spreading too fast to keep track of. All the while Scheele stood in the middle of all this destruction, continuing to scream, desperately trying to free herself from the guilt, from the pain.

Tatsumi struggled to his feet as the ground started shifting beneath him. He tried to move towards her, but a crack appeared before him, splitting apart the ice and sending him and Scheele adrift on two separate ice floes. Tatsumi hurriedly backpedaled away from the edge. He looked over the edge and saw the freezing water forming a vortex, threatening to drag everything in. Tatsumi tore his gaze away from the hypnotic destruction and searched for Scheele. He finally saw her 20 meters away, on her knees as she cradled her head in her hands. Tatsumi knew he had to get to her. He looked one final time at the widening gap that separated them, steeled himself, backed up a few feet, and then went sprinting towards Scheele. As he reached the edge of his ice floe, he jumped with all his might.

But he fell short.

Tatsumi slammed into Sheele's ice floe a few feet too low to grab the edge. His body was thrown backwards and he landed in the vortex of freezing water. Tatsumi felt the water grab onto his body and force him deeper and deeper beneath the waves. His body was tossed and turned until he could no longer tell where the surface was. Tatsumi wasn't sure if he could drown, but he sure as hell didn't want to find out. His lungs didn't cry out for air, but being tossed around so violently was starting to terrify him. How long would he be stuck in this vortex? If he couldn't drown he could spend an eternity trapped in this whirlpool. Tatsumi couldn't decide what would be worst, dying again or forever being tossed around underwater. Just as panic started to flood his mind, Tatsumi felt a hand on his back, pulling him towards the surface. As he was pulled the vortex started to slow until it eventually died away. Tatsumi twisted his neck to see he who was pulling him; he could just barely see that it was Scheele doggedly dragging him towards the surface.

They finally breached the surface and Tatsumi heaved air into his lungs. He didn't really need to, but it was a reaction that was ingrained into his being. As he started to calm down he realized that the entire frozen landscape had melted. In its place was a beautiful tropical paradise, the kind he had only seen when he had been teleported with Esdeath. Scheele still held onto his collar and was dragging him towards the shore. She finally stopped when their feet brushed sand.

As soon as they could stand upon a newly formed beach, Scheele pulled Tatsumi into her arms. "Thank goodness you're okay. I was so worried about you." Tatsumi smiled to himself. Of course Scheele would completely forget her own pain as soon as she saw someone else in trouble. Scheele held Tatsumi out at arm's length and looked him over for any bruises.

"I'm fine." Tatsumi smiled at Scheele and she finally returned it, though her smile was weak and unsure.

"I'm glad I could be of some help." Her smile died away and Scheele started walking backwards, once more creating distance between them.

Tatsumi lightly grabbed onto her arm. "Stop that right now! You devoted your whole life to helping others!" Tatsumi put all the conviction he felt into his words. He would make her realize that her life had been meaningful.

Scheele seemed to not believe his words, although at least she was still holding his gaze. Tatsumi looked deep into her eyes as he said, "You changed my life. You saved me from despair. You saved Mine's life! There are countless people alive right now because of you! And you still think you accomplished nothing?!"

Tears came back into Scheele's eyes "But Mine still died! I didn't do enough!" She screamed.

Tatsumi firmly held onto her shoulders and forced her to look at him. He had to make her realize all the good she had done. "No one gets saved forever!" He shouted as painful memories flooded his mind. So many of his friends had died. So very many. "You have to fight for every minute of every day and each extra moment you get is a victory! You fight until you find someone worth fighting for! Someone who you would give everything for, just so they get to see another tomorrow! You gave Mine more time! You gave Mine _your_ time! Can you not see how much that means to me?!" Tatsumi's eyes blurred and he realized that he was crying. "Every time that I got to hold Mine's hand, or hear her laugh, or see her smile; I thanked you!" His words were finally starting to get through to Scheele. Her tears came much less frequently, and see seemed to be holding her breath as she listened to his words. Tatsumi chest heaved with exertion. He had put so much of himself into his words; there was nothing more he could say except, "Thank you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart and with everything I am." His final words came out as a whisper and with nothing else to say, he let his head drop and just cried.

A soft hand wiped some of the tears off his face. Tatsumi lifted his head and saw that Scheele was now looking at him with a gentle smile. Her eyes were no longer so full of pain. Tatsumi could see that the hurt still lingered, but it no longer consumed her. "You're welcome." She whispered.

Even as she said those words, she started to become out of focus. The whole world was becoming blurry and started to fade. "You're welcome." Scheele continued to whisper, but now it was getting harder to hear her. Tatsumi tried to hold onto her, but his hand passed right through her. He realized that she wasn't disappearing, he was! Tatsumi started to panic, but he realized that this new world was trying to tell him something. He still had others to see. Tatsumi calmed his mind and allowed everything to slowly fade away. Right before everything faded completely, Tatsumi could just hear Scheele's voice and see her talking to someone her had never seen before. It was a girl with brown hair in two tight buns. Somehow this made him happy; he realized that Scheele would be okay.

Tatsumi turned away from the fading world and faced a new one that was slowly coming into focus. He would see Scheele again, when they were both ready. But for now, another old friend awaited him.

And he could already hear that friend's deep laugh.

* * *

_A/N: I have returned! Thanks everyone for reading. Sorry about that cliffhanger, but not really because I did it again this chapter. I decided that I would try something new and stick my author's notes on the end of the chapters instead of before. I feel like it allows people to get to the story faster and if they don't want to read my rambling they don't have to! Everybody Wins! If you like it the other way just send me a message. It's all the same to me._

_Well I hope you guys enjoyed this new chapter. By now you probably realize that I am going by order of death for each chapter. I am really happy about how this chapter came out, I planned it much MUCH differently but somehow this chapter just sort of wrote itself. I hope you gusy think I am giving these phenomenal characters justice. If anyone doesn't realise who that girl at the end was, rewatch episode 5. Some of you might see the heavy _Last of Us_ influence, what a great game. I have a LoU story in the workshop, it might see the light one day. Anyway, I did keep my promise and updated sooner, but not by much. I will try to update the next chapter even faster, but LIFE._

_For those of you eagerly waiting for Mine's chapter, I assure you that I am too, but it will be a little while so stay tuned._

_I want to thank everyone for their continued support! "From the bottom of my heart and with everything I am, thank you." _

_Also, so I don't get sued. I own nothing! Hear that great corporation in the sky! None of this is mine! I claim zero ownership! Also the cover image is by StrikeBoss on Deviant Art. He is really talented and I urge you guys to give him some love._

_Talk to you next time!_


	4. Bro

"Now that I've found you, it scares me witless to think of anything happening. To you. I'm not used to being... afraid." A sudden realization came to her, "So this is love," she said quietly. "The daily prospect of joy or disaster"

― Zoe Archer, Warrior

* * *

Tatsumi patiently waited for the new world to come into focus. He briefly looked over his shoulder to try and catch another glimpse of Scheele, but a deep haze made everything seem out of focus and he couldn't see very far in any direction. Tatsumi breathed a deep sigh; he knew that he had to undertake this journey, but he was just so tired. "So much for rest when you're dead." Tatsumi laughed to himself.

As he continued to wait, Tatsumi's mind inevitably drifted back to Mine. His very being ached to be with her, but at the same time he was so afraid of what she might think of him. The pain of life still weighed heavily on him; all his mistakes, all his failings seemed amplified now that he had left the world, now that there was nothing he could do to change what had happened to him. Yes he wanted to be with Mine, but he wasn't ready to see her. He needed more time to figure everything out. With great effort, Tatsumi shook himself from his thoughts of Mine and once again looked at his surroundings.

He was surprised to see that the world was still very hazy. It almost seemed like everything was covered in a thick fog. Not only that, but the air itself seemed warm and heavy. Tatsumi tried walking forward to see if he could escape his foggy surroundings, but after only a few steps he felt one of his feet become submerged in warm water. Tatsumi quickly pulled his feet from the water and staggered backwards. That's when he realized; the fog was not the world coming into focus, this world was covered in fog. Upon another careful look Tatsumi realized where he was.

He was in a hot spring.

The warm air and fog, was actually steam. The water he had just stepped into was actually a rock lined pool. A huge smile broke across his face. Tatsumi loved hot springs.

He hurriedly undressed himself and started moving towards the nearby spring. A warm soak was just what he needed to help him relax. Tatsumi had his shirt off and was starting to work on his pants when he saw something move in the spring. A huge dark figure stood up from the far side of the pool. Tatsumi froze. The figure started moving towards Tatsumi almost inhumanly fast. Tatsumi struggled to settle his body into a fighting stance to meet this unknown while simultaneously getting redressed. The result was Tatsumi stumbled backwards and fell hard. A sense of dread started filling Tatsumi as he realized that the figure would be on him before he could stand back up. Tatsumi gritted his teeth and mentally prepared himself to fight until an unexpected voice stunned Tatsumi.

"Hey! Tatsumi! Aren't you happy to see me?" It was a voice of strength and wisdom. It was a voice filled with compassion and a willingness to do whatever it takes to protect those he loved. It was the voice of…

"Bro!" Tatsumi felt a great weight lift off his shoulder. With his Big Bro here Tatsumi could do anything! Tatsumi scrambled to his feet and went running towards the still shrouded figure. A huge smile stretched across Tatsumi's face as he got closer and closer to his friend. And then Tatsumi got close enough that he could finally see through the mist. He could see his Big Bro's large muscular body. He could see his Big Bro's outrageous hair that took him an hour to style. He could see his Big Bro's… he could see… Oh no.

Big Bro was naked.

Tatsumi desperately tried to stop himself, but his momentum kept him hurtling towards the completely nude figure of his friend. For Bulat's part he simply stood there completely unabashed, with his head thrown back and a deep hearty laugh rising up from his chest. Finally, Tatsumi's feet found purchase on the wet rocks and his lower body was brought to a halt. However, his upper body continued along its path and Tatsumi fell head over heels into a warm pool of water. Tatsumi was quite content to keep his head literally buried in the sand, but he could hear the thunderous footsteps of his old mentor growing nearer. Tatsumi forced himself to his feet and saw that Bulat was now walking towards him and was now only a few meters from where he stood. With his eyes riveted on Bulat's face, Tatsumi did the only thing that he could still do to prevent calamity. From the very depths of his being he screamed, "OH GOOD GOD, PLEASE STOP!"

Bulat finally realized that something was wrong and came to a halt, he looked questioningly at Tatsumi for a few seconds and then suddenly realized how breezy it was. He looked down, threw his head back in another hearty laugh and then snapped his fingers. Mercifully, a towel appeared over his figure, finally covering his vulnerable bits. "Sorry about that Tatsumi, I guess I got too used to being by myself, Hahaha!" Tatsumi smiled to himself, Bro was just how he remembered him, just his presence always filled Tatsumi with confidence.

Tatsumi quickly darted his eyes down to make sure the towel was firmly secured before he finally felt comfortable to move closer to his dear friend. "Bro, it's so good to see you again!" Tatsumi embraced his friend.

The tight hug actually caught Bulat by surprise; he was unprepared for Tatsumi's arm strength "Whoa! Looks like you've gotten a lot stronger Tatsumi." Bulat had watched from above as Tatsumi found his true potential, but it was quite different to once again be so close to him.

Tatsumi smiled and stepped back, he realized that Bulat was not as tall as he remembered, or perhaps Tatsumi had grown more than he had realized. Before, Bulat and been more than a full head taller than him, but now the top of Tatsumi's head was almost eye level with Bulat. Bulat also noticed these changes. Pride filled his chest, _Tatsumi certainly grew into a fine man, _he mused to himself. A brief moment of pain stabbed Bulat's heart, _he died too young, _Bulat turned away so that Tatsumi wouldn't see the tears that sprung to his eyes.

Unfortunately Tatsumi saw the tears and mistook their origin, "Bulat," he began hesitantly, "I'm sorry about Incursio, you trusted it to me and I ended up destroying it. I wasn't strong enough. I wasn't worthy to wield it." Tatsumi hung his head in shame, afraid to see the pain he had caused his friend.

Bulat turned to face Tatsumi once he started talking, he saw the regret etched into Tatsumi's frame and grabbed onto his shoulders forcing Tatsumi to meet his gaze. Once Tatsumi's eyes met his he spoke determinedly, "Tatsumi, you took Incursio farther than even I could. You are the one who brought forth its true power. You are much more worthy of it than I ever was." Tatsumi opened his mouth to speak, but Bulat silenced him with a finger. He was not done yet, "You didn't destroy Incursio, you set it free. That Danger Beast's soul always hated being trapped within a set of armor. Heck, it probably would have thanked you for finally letting it rest."

The earnesty in Bulat's voice got through to Tatsumi, but shame still filled him, "I could have trained harder," Tatsumi muttered, "so many people depended on me." Tatsumi's eyes started to sting and he dropped his gaze from Bulat's again. That's why he never saw the fist, only felt it connect with his stomach.

The force of the blow sent Tatsumi flying backwards; he rolled several times before lying stunned upon the ground. Once he mind finally cleared, he jumped to his feet indignantly, "What was that for!?"

Bulat now stood in his usual garb, light green armor, and help a long practice quarterstaff that he used to use when he and Tatsumi sparred. "I wasn't going to just let you wallow in self-pity Tatsumi." A glint of hardness in his eye's silenced the angry words in Tatsumi's throat. Tatsumi felt his chest and realized that there was no pain, just a dull sensation of soreness. He wondered once again what would happen if he was wounded fatally in this strange world. Bulat's voice shook Tatsumi from his thoughts, "You trained harder than anyone I ever met, you did your best." Bulat put as much sincerity into his voice as he could. He knew the effect of such self-doubt; he wanted to spare Tatsumi the pain he had dealt with after first coming to the afterlife.

Tatsumi knew that there was truth in his words, but a small part of him still lingered in doubt. "You don't know what it's like, you were always strong, stronger than me, stronger than everyone."

Bulat heaved a deep sigh; he knew that his words alone were no longer enough to shake Tatsumi from his pain. He knew what he had to do. Slowly, Bulat raised his staff into the air, and then slammed it down with all his might. As soon as his staff hit the ground the landscape changed, the mist and pools were abruptly replaced with a familiar scene. The training grounds in Night Raid's fortress. Tatsumi was so startled that he fell to the ground. A dull wooden thump surprised him, and he realized that in his hand was the old wooden training sword that Bulat had given him. The weight was the same as the sword he used to use, but its "blade" was nicked and scarred from countless bouts. A piercing yell suddenly pierced the air. Tatsumi looked up to see Bulat charging him with staff raised. Bulat closed the distance between them and then slammed his staff downwards. Tatsumi threw his body to the side to avoid the blow, just barely getting out of the way in time.

He sprung to his feet and then hastily deflected Bulat's side swipe. "What are you doing!" he cried out.

"You think you're weak, you think you're unworthy. Well I think otherwise, so let's see who is right," Bulat punctuated his reply with quick jabs at Tatsumi. Tatsumi desperately parried each blow, but he had no desire to fight Bulat. Tatsumi refused to strike back, so Bulat threw a blinding combination of stabs and swipes at him. Faster than sight, Bulat swiped his staff low and caught Tatsumi's feet, swiping them out from under him and sending Tatsumi crashing to the ground. The air exploded out of Tatsumi's lungs, and he was briefly stunned. His back radiated pain, the first he had felt since dying. It was just like he was alive again. This revelation finally made Tatsumi realize that just like in life, Bulat was not going to pull his punches. Bulat threw another mighty overhead swing at Tatsumi, sword met staff and Tatsumi deflected the blow to his right. The staff slammed into the ground and Bulat was briefly distracted, Tatsumi used the distraction to jump to his feet and settle himself into his familiar fighting stance. Bulat noticed the change in him and smiled to himself. The two then launched themselves into the dance of combat.

Strike, block, counter, each move slide smoothly into the next. Bulat could feel Tatsumi grow bolder with each strike, they were finally an even match, but Bulat knew that he needed to push Tatsumi so that he would reveal his darkest feelings. When Tatsumi swung next, Bulat let his grip loosen and his staff went spinning out his hands. Bulat then neatly grabbed onto Tatsumi's sword and pushed it out of the way, before twirling and letting his right arm swing around and strike Tatsumi in the jaw. The force of the blow sent Tatsumi reeling, silence fell across the field. Tatsumi's face darkened and after spitting blood from his mouth, he let his sword fall and launched himself at Bulat sending a quick series of jabs into Bulat's stomach. Bulat gave ground before once again falling into the rhythm of combat.

Finally after a blow glanced across Tatsumi's shoulders, he finally gave light to the feelings that had been bubbling inside of him since the fight started. "You didn't see how they looked at me." Tatsumi's voice was full of pain and anger, but he continued to fight, "When I returned with Incursio in my hand and you bloodied and dead, draped across my shoulders." Bulat remained silent, letting Tatsumi get everything off his chest. "They knew that I was too weak to help you. They knew that if anyone else had gone with you, you would have still been alive. They knew I had failed." Tears started tracking down Tatsumi's face, but still he continued fighting, launching a brutal series of kicks at Bulat. "But they still expected me to fill your shoes, to step up and be a man." Tatsumi was so full of anger, but he didn't know at who. Was he mad at Bulat, or the others, or himself? His distraction allowed Bulat to grab onto Tatsumi's arm and twist him into a chokehold. Tatsumi threw his head back and struck Bulat in the nose then easily twisted out of the hold. "How could I compare to you? To the 100 Man-Slayer? Yet they all expected me to." Tatsumi now let himself openly weep but even so his fighting only improved. "It should have been me who died that day!" Bulat threw a punch at Tatsumi and Tatsumi sidestepped it, letting it slide harmlessly past his head. Then he grabbed onto Bulat's arm, and with all his strength, heaved Bulat up and over himself, slamming Bulat into the ground. Tatsumi grabbed onto his shirt and drew his hand into a fist, but he delayed the blow. "You shouldn't have died! You shouldn't have left us! I still needed you!" Now Tatsumi was screaming his pain, his arm still drawn back and ready to strike. He remained that way until he felt Bulat draw him into a hug. Then he let his body relax and just let himself cry out. As soon as the tears started to come, all the wounds and pain from their battle disappeared like they had never happened.

Once his tears started to subside, Bulat finally spoke, "I'm sorry Tatsumi. I didn't want to leave. But you didn't need me anymore." Tatsumi opened his mouth to speak, but Bulat silenced him again. "I knew that Incursio and my friends were in good hands with you around." The last of Tatsumi's tears fell, but he remained limp in his friend's arms. Bulat continued speaking, "You did more than I ever could. You took Incursio to new heights and you were the one who challenged the Empire's strongest and emerged triumphant. I always knew that you would one day surpass me, I just never imagined that you would be this strong, this great." Bulat's words were like a balm on Tatsumi's heart, he always considered himself a failure when compared to Bulat. He never saw himself as good enough. Bulat pulled Tatsumi tighter to him, Bulat whispered into Tatsumi's ear "Thank you for taking care of everyone, I am so proud of you, Bro."

Suddenly Tatsumi fell forward. He looked around and saw that the training ground had disappeared and he was once again transitioning between worlds. The suddenness almost broke Tatsumi's heart, there was still so much to be said. Tatsumi screamed out and rammed his fist into the ground. "Argh!" Tatsumi screamed out. He hit the ground over and over again, tears pouring out of him. "Bro!" he called out, desperate for an answer. This was too hard, each time he meet one of his friends his heart broke, and each time he left it broke again. When would he be allowed to rest? Tatsumi cried with his face buried into the ground unable to move.

Until he felt a hand lightly lay upon his shoulder.

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_AN: Hello everyone! I am once again sorry about how long this chapter took. It was soooo much longer than I originally planned. I am pretty happy with how it went. _

_Okay there are a couple of things I need to say. 1: you guys are amazing. Every single one of you. Lately I have been making the mistake of reading Youtube comments, I have been so depressed with the caliber of people who seem to exist in this virtual world and I honestly wonder why I even interact with people online. Then I come back here and see how amazing and supportive everyone is. Not just to me, but to so many authors who make themselves vulnerable when they share how much they love something. This is what the internet should be. A place that fosters imagination and participation. So thank you for being your wonderful selves and please continue being amazing. 2: I have been addicted to the universe of __How To Train Your Dragon __I adore the films, and the soundtracks and especially HiccupxAstrid. But I have yet to find a fanfic that really feels like a true representation of the characters. If you know of a great HTTYD fanfic that will scratch that itch then please PM me. _

_Thank you for reading and stay tuned._


	5. Waiting

_AN: Surprise! I bet you didn't expect to see me so soon. I am putting this Author's Note at the beginning because it just felt awkward at the end. I hope you guys enjoy the newest chapter. I am just going to go ahead and say that there will only be two more chapters after this one. You can probably figure out who those two chapters will be about. The end is near! Once again I want to thank everyone for all your support and your continued reading. This is long overdue but I want to thank Yessica-N for her story __The Many People You Meet in Heaven. __My story was partly inspired by hers and she deserves much love. Her story is in my favorites and you should definitely read it. Well I will stop rambling so you guys can read. Enjoy!_

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Tatsumi ignored the hand upon his shoulder. Why would he want to open up his heart only to have it ripped apart? He couldn't bear to see any of his friends again only to have them ripped from his arms. He thought that had made peace with the dead, but he realized that he had only learned to make his guilt tolerable. By now Tatsumi had seen the pattern; he knew that in all likelihood the hand upon his shoulder was Chelsea's.

Chelsea. If there was anyone he had truly failed it was her. If he had just been faster, if he had been able to defeat Kurome, then Chelsea wouldn't have died. She wouldn't have been killed and then they wouldn't… they wouldn't have cut off head and used her as a symbol of the Capital's power.

The hand upon Tatsumi's shoulder tightened its grip; he knew that he would have to face her, and he knew that she would probably hate him. Tatsumi took a deep breath, then slowly lifted his head from the ground and opened his eyes. He was ready to see Chelsea's disapproving gaze, but he was not ready to see a horrifying white mask mere inches from his face. What else could Tatsumi do but scream?

Bols jumped back and started rubbing his head with his hand, "Sorry Tatsumi, I didn't mean to scare you."

Tatsumi scrambled to his feet after stifling his screams, "Bols… I didn't… I was expecting… I mean what are you doing here?"

Bols clasped his hands in front of his body and either grimaced or smiled at Tatsumi, he could never really tell, "I was just waiting for you; I know we didn't know each other long, but I still consider you a friend. Although I understand if you don't feel the same." Bols finished uncertainly. Tatsumi had only briefly known Bols during his time as Esdeath's play thing, but a friendship had started to grow. Tatsumi could relate to Bols's desire to provide for his family just as Tatsumi desired to save his village. He saw that Bols was a good man in terrible circumstances.

Bols's family. The thought of them was like a knife to Tatsumi's heart. Now he understood why he had to face Bols. The man was just as Tatsumi remembered him, scars and all. He simply stood there and looked at Tatsumi, his mask obscuring his feelings. Tatsumi was just about to open his mouth to say something, anything, when a small screaming object suddenly slammed into Bols' back.

Bols staggered forward a few paces with the weight of the blow and started to turn when several more screaming shapes charged into his legs and brought him falling to the ground. Tatsumi started moving towards Bols, but stopped when he realized that the small objects were children.

Children. Here.

The full implication of this brought tears to Tatsumi's eyes which he quickly wiped away. For their part the children were climbing over Bols' fallen form while he tried to pick them off of him. Their combined laughter echoed through the air.

That's when Tatsumi realized that this new world had taken the shape of a courtyard surrounded by a large brick building. The building had huge windows, and through these windows Tatsumi saw rooms full of children of all ages either sitting in desks or playing with one another. Some adults could be seen scattered amongst the children trying to instill some semblance of order or simply being mobbed by tiny assailants.

Bols had finally managed to get back to his feet; the kids were still clinging to his body, attached to his neck and his legs. His laughter was loud and Tatsumi could hear him addressing each child by name trying to get them to calm down. Happiness seemed to radiate off of him, happiness coming from a man who had been murdered and taken from his family.

The kids finally detached themselves from Bols and then turned inquisitive stares towards Tatsumi. One little boy swaggered up to Tatsumi and stared into his face, "Who are you?" he challenged.

"Timothy, we talked about this," Bols lightly scolded.

The boy quickly dropped his gaze and gave a muted, "Sorry," before lifting his eyes and then thrusting his hand out, "Hi. I'm Tim, nice to meet ya!"

Tatsumi shook the little boy's hand, "Tatsumi," he stated with a smile starting to lift the corners of his mouth.

The boy nodded his head, satisfied with Tatsumi's answer, and then retreated back towards Bols and the other children. The children started pulling Bols towards a playground on the far side of the courtyard. Bols looked back over his shoulder at Tatsumi, but then allowed himself to be pulled along.

"Cute aren't they?" a voice asked directly behind Tatsumi. Tatsumi turned to look for the speaker and saw her. Chelsea stood smiling only a few feet from him. Tatsumi froze. She looked so much like when she was alive. He knew that he should say something, but he also knew that there were no words that could express how much her death had weighed on him. "Oh come on, stunningly beautiful is just a saying," Chelsea laughed. Tatsumi just opened and closed his mouth, no words forming. He couldn't comprehend how she could be so calm, how she could stand to even look at him.

Finally Tatsumi said the words that he had whispered to himself a hundred times, "I'm sorry." After the first time, it was like a floodgate had been opened; he couldn't stop, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," The words flowed out of him like the tears from his eyes. He fell to his knees as he continued to sob, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

Chelsea moved forward and placed her hands on Tatsumi's head before pulling him into her arms and cradling him. "Shush," she whispered into his ear, "you'll scare the children." But Tatsumi needed a release for the pain that had haunted him so she let him cry out.

"You know who these kids are?" she finally spoke after several minutes. "These are kids who are waiting for their parents." Tatsumi continued to sob quietly into her embrace; Chelsea started lightly stroking his hair, "Each and every one of these kids died before their parents. Some died in the Capital's training programs, some died at the hands of vengeful Revolutionaries. But you know what? To these kids and their parents it doesn't matter why they died. It doesn't matter if they died for some noble cause or if they died in some unfortunate accident; all that matters is that they are gone. All that matters is that they don't get another Birthday, or another goodnight kiss, or another day. These kids lost everything, but just look at them."

Tatsumi loosened himself from Chelsea's embrace and he turned his head to look at the kids who were playing with Bols. They were laughing and running around just like any kid that Tatsumi had seen when he was alive. It seemed impossible that these kids had been given such terrible fates, fates they didn't deserve, and been able to recover from such tragedy. The last of Tatsumi's tears fell from his face and he finally spoke, "How are you and Bols both here?" Tatsumi couldn't understand how they could possibly work together, "Doesn't Bols hate you?"

Chelsea spoke to Tatsumi, but kept her gaze fixed on the children, "He was the first person I met in this world. While I was still struggling to understand where I was he came up to me, to his killer, and he gave me forgiveness." Now Chelsea had tears upon her face, "When you're alive you have to fight. There's not enough so everyone fights. And when you find something worth fighting for, everything else loses its meaning. You'll do anything to keep those you love alive. But here… here there's enough. You don't have to fight, no one does. You get what you need and you face the consequences of your life." Tatsumi thought about those he had killed, were they here? Could he truly be confident that each life he had taken had deserved it? Hadn't he hurt innocent people too?

"If things had been different we could have been friends, Bols and me." Chelsea's voice shook Tatsumi from his thoughts. "We decided that we would both repay our debts, so we came here. We came where we could try to help these kids find peace, and try to find some ourselves. So we spend every day here, waiting. Waiting for these kids to be reunited. Waiting for families to become whole again." Chelsea was clearly looking at Bols now. Bols seemed to sense her gaze and looked up from pushing the kids on swings and gave her a slow nod. "He told me that every time he closes his eyes he sees his family, and every time he opens them he hopes he doesn't see them." Chelsea pushed herself to her feet and held out her hand to Tatsumi. Tatsumi took it and hauled himself to his feet. "That's the hardest part about this new world. You get everything you want, except those you left behind. You want them here with you, but you also want them to live long lives. As nice as it is up here, life is an experience you only get once."

Chelsea had started pulling Tatsumi towards the center of the courtyard, where a large clear pool calmly reflected the sky above. Once they reached the edge of it she dropped to her hands and knees and stared into the shallow depths of the water. Tatsumi joined her. "I came here and joined so many others who only wished to give these kids some peace. Put it was these kids who gave me peace. They taught me that if you keep hate in your heart you can only hurt yourself here. These kids forgave their killers, just as Bols forgave me, and just as I forgave Kurome."

At the mention of Kurome's name the pool's reflection suddenly shifted from the sky to a bird's eye view of a chapel. From this perspective Tatsumi could see rows of pews illuminated by sunlight shining through stained glass. The chapel was filled with every color imaginable and sitting in one of the pews sat Kurome. She was talking to a bunch of kids who were all dressed similar to her and next to her sat the blond man that Tatsumi remembered from their fight. He was clearly no longer a puppet because Tatsumi saw him throw his head back in laughter over something that Kurome had said.

"In this world we can chose to let ourselves be happy. We don't forget what happened when we were alive, heck that's what defines us, but we don't have to let it destroy us." Chelsea kept her eyes fixed on the pool as she talked to Tatsumi. "You will have to make that choice too. You will have to choose to forgive everyone who hurt you, but most importantly you have to choose to forgive yourself."

Tatsumi turned his gaze to the pool and saw that the reflection had changed. Now he saw Susanoo busily preparing a meal while a white haired man who looked remarkably similar to Najenda chopped vegetable next to him. Tatsumi could see that Susanoo was laughing as he worked.

Then the image changed once again to Seryu who was talking to two people who must be her parents. Seryu's body was free of all the alterations that had been added to her. She seemed so happy, talking to her parents while holding Coro in her arms. Tatsumi sat back on his heels and tried to absorb everything that he had seen. This world belonged to everyone. No matter how he saw them, everyone deserved to be here. They all had to face their demons, but everyone got the chance to try and fix their past wrongs.

Next to Tatsumi, Bols sat down and started staring into the pool. "I have done so many terrible things," Bols' voice was full of pain, "Some of these kids are here by my hand. I keep my scars so that I never forget how I lived." The image in the pool changed again. Tatsumi leaned forward to see what was now being shown. Sitting at a table were two figures, a mother and a daughter. Bols reached his hand out and lightly touched the reflection. "Or why I lived."

Tatsumi turned to talk to Bols and saw that Bols, the courtyard, and even Chelsea had all vanished. The world was changing once again. Tatsumi tried crying out in misery, but found he had no more tears left. He had faced so much pain since coming to this world. He had wallowed in misery for as long as he could. So he did the only thing that he could still do. The only thing left after all the pain and all the fighting and all the heartbreak.

He forgave himself.


	6. Don't Leave Me Hanging

_AN: Hey guys I hope you like the last chapter. So many of you said that Chelsea was your favorite character. She is awesome and I hope I did her justice. I felt that my story was getting a little predictable so I thought I would shake it up a little. Surprise Bols!I haven't noticed anyone excited about Lubbock, I seriously loved him. Well here is his chapter so enjoy. I will talk to you guys again at the end._

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"Ever has it been that love knows not its own depth until the hour of separation."

― Kahlil Gibran

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It was like a weight had dropped from his shoulders. Tatsumi took in a deep breath through his nose. Everything seemed somehow brighter. For the first time, he truly marveled at the new world that was coming into focus. Slowly a dusty smell started to fill the air. Everything remained quite and still, like he was entering some sort of sanctum. Rows of bookcases started to appear and Tatsumi remembered what this new world was. He had been here many times before.

It was Lubbock's bookstore. Tatsumi smiled to himself, he always knew that Lubbock would come back here after all the fighting stopped. Whenever they were in the Capital for reconnaissance Lubbock would always spend as much time as possible in his store, organizing shelves and scolding his poor employees. Lubbock always loved this place.

Once the bookstore had solidified, Tatsumi started walking around and examining the books on the shelves. He didn't really know what he was looking for; Tatsumi had never really spent his time reading. He was just about to give up and start looking for Lubbock when something caught his eye. On a low wooden table, next to a sofa facing a window, there sat a large book. The book was open like someone had set it down while they were reading it. When Tatsumi got closer he realized that the book wasn't finished, it was still being written. This was someone's journal.

Tatsumi was reaching for the journal when he felt something tug at his arm, he had just enough time to see that an incredibly thin string had wrapped around Tatsumi's hand before he was jerked off his feet and was lifted into the air to hang upside down. Tatsumi just heaved a heavy sigh and resigned himself to what he knew was coming.

Just as expected, Lubbock burst out from behind a closed door, "Gotcha! That will teach you, you dirty little… Tatsumi?" Lubbock voice slowly trailed off as he realized who exactly he had caught in his trap. This realization only slowed him for a moment before a huge grin started spreading across his face. "Well well well. Tatsumi I didn't expect to catch you!" Lubbock went up to Tatsumi and started roughly prodding him with his finger, "Still think that you're the better man? Huh, Tatsumi? Huh, Huh?" Tatsumi was now swinging quite quickly as Lubbock continued to poke him.

Tatsumi just allowed Lubbock to have his fun, "Lubba! It's good to see you!"

Lubbock finally finished his teasing and stepped back, "Tatsumi, I was hoping you would have kept me waiting a little while longer. I guess you had to try and outmatch my heroic death though." He smiled to himself as he shrugged his shoulders.

Tatsumi still slowly swung back and forth, "Well I did save a lot of people, and Najenda seemed pretty impressed."

At his words, Lubbock whipped around, concern filling his eyes, "Miss Najenda, how is she?" All the joking humor had left his voice.

Tatsumi noticed the change in his mood, "She misses you," he replied earnestly, "But she is more committed than ever to bringing down the Capital."

This answer seemed to partially relax Lubbock. Tatsumi released that he had no idea how much time had passed since he had come to the afterlife, "Lubbock? Do you know what is happening with Akame and the others?"

Lubbock seemed to consider his answer before he spoke, "Honestly, it's hard to tell." Tatsumi drew breath to give an irritated retort, but Lubbock stopped him, "Time moves differently here. We can sometimes see our loved ones, and we get this feeling when they are in danger, but most of the time we don't know what they are doing." Tatsumi could see Lubbock tensing his body; this fact obviously upset him greatly. "I think it is this world's way of making us move on, otherwise we would just constantly be hovering over those we left behind. They only get memories of us, so I guess this is only fair." Lubbock paced away a few feet and seemed to sink into thought.

Tatsumi hung quietly for several minutes before another question popped into his head, "Why isn't everyone together?" Lubbock seemed shocked by his sudden question and turned to face him, "Why aren't you with the rest of Night Raid?" Tatsumi elaborated.

Lubbock stepped towards the low table and closed the journal before answering, "For most of us it was too painful. Scheele felt each of us die and we all tried to see her. I guess she got to see more than most; she knew about almost everything that had happened after she died. It kinda messed with her." Lubbock had moved towards the window and was looking out at something that Tatsumi couldn't see. "I talked to Bulat, he helped me settle in; but it always seemed like he was waiting for something to happen." As Lubbock said that he looked towards Tatsumi, as if to see his reaction, "Chelsea is kept pretty busy with her school. Susanoo just wants to be with his old master for now and Mine, well Mine is…" Lubbock trailed off and seemed unsure about what to say next.

Concern seized Tatsumi's heart. Mine had been in the back of his thoughts since she had died. She had given him power to fight even when she was no longer next to him. To think that something had happened to her. A thousand possibilities started swimming through Tatsumi's mind, each one worse than the last. Lubbock saw the distress starting to take over and threw out his hands and hurried to fix the worry he had caused. "Whoa Tatsumi, slow down. She's fine."

Tatsumi stared into Lubbock eyes and made sure that he was being honest, satisfied Tatsumi let out a breath that he didn't know he was holding in, "Then what did you mean?" Concern still creeping into his words.

Lubbock moved closer to Tatsumi, "I think that she needs you. For her the wait has been agonizing. All she ever wanted was for you to be happy. When you died so soon, I think it broke her heart. We all thought she would at least be happy to see you, but she started saying some weird things." Lubbock was being very careful about the words he chose, so as not to give Tatsumi unnecessary alarm.

Tatsumi thought about what would happen if he went to see Mine and she didn't want to see him. The thought of it was almost too painful to even contemplate. He had to get to her right now. Tatsumi turned to ask Lubbock how he could get to Mine when he realized that Lubbock was now intensely staring into Tatsumi's eyes. "Listen carefully Tatsumi," Lubbock spoke with an intensity that Tatsumi had never heard from him before, "You got to experience something that most people don't even think exists. Don't waste it."

Tatsumi looked into Lubbock's eyes and saw pain. He saw the pain of broken dreams and possibilities that never happened.

Najenda.

Tatsumi kept Lubbock's gaze. "I won't. I swear." Lubbock nodded, satisfied with his answer. He started to turn but Tatsumi stopped him, "And Lubbock, she cared about you too."

Lubbock smiled and gave Tatsumi a confident smile, "Of course she did, just look at me!" Lubbock started walking towards the door. "Now go show Mine what kind of man you are!"

Tatsumi returned Lubbock's triumphant smile, but as Lubbock reached the door that he first appeared out of Tatsumi called out to him once more.

"Lubba?"

"Didn't you hear me Tatsumi? Go get her!"

"I will, after you cut me down."

"Oh, yeah. My bad."

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_AN: Did you like it? Thanks for sticking around guys I really appreciate it. The long awaited Mine chapter is on the horizon and I can't wait to post that. No promises that it will be updated as quickly, but I will do my best. Now I have to do a ton of homework that I have put off! Once again, thanks for the feedback and see you guys for the final chapter!_


	7. A new journey begins

After Lubbock had cut Tatsumi down, he had just pointed to a simple wooden door and then simply vanished. Tatsumi thought that he would vanish too, but after a few seconds he had hesitantly walked towards the door. Slowly, he opened it and peered out. A wave of what could only be described as life washed over him. Noises, smells, colors; Tatsumi didn't realize that the afterlife could feel so… alive.

Tatsumi was facing a bustling marketplace full of people. A smile stretched across his face; of course Mine's paradise would include shopping. The air was alive with the all the sounds and smells that Tatsumi had become so accustomed to. But there was something more to the atmosphere, an added dimension to everything. Tatsumi tried to isolate what was different, but his senses were overloaded by all the commotion. Shrugging his shoulders, Tatsumi pushed the nagging sensation to the back of his mind and let one thought completely consume him.

Mine.

Tatsumi started pushing through the crowd, desperate for any sign of her, for any sign of the woman he loved. Despite the sheer number of people moving in any which direction, the crowd never forced him along, never engulfed him. Occasionally someone bumped into him, but they were always quick to apologize. Everyone had somewhere to go, but no one seemed rushed to get there. Tatsumi continued to move through the crowd, eager to finally be with Mine again. Even though he had been walking for a while, the marketplace still stretched out in every direction. How large was this place? Every street branched off into even more pathways, each just as full of people as the last. Tatsumi was wondering how he would ever find Mine, when something slammed into his back and sent him sprawling to the ground.

Tatsumi rolled over to see what had hit him, only to catch a glimpse of a massive barrel falling directly towards him. Before he could even scream, the barrel fell onto him and broke upon his head, releasing a massive orange cloud of some kind of spice. The spice covered his eyes and got into his lungs, sending him into a coughing fit. Tatsumi started rubbing his eyes to restore his vision, but just as he was finally starting to be able to see again, a flood of water washed over him and sent him sliding along the ground.

"Oh my gosh, I am so sorry!" A voice stuttered out an apology. Tatsumi shakily rose to his feet, completely soaked but at least all the spice had washed away too. He turned to face his attacker and saw that a very young girl with orange hair was facing him with an empty bucket clutched in her hands. Next to her stood a small wagon that was precariously stacked with a large number of barrels.

Tatsumi shook himself to shed off any excess water and then turned to face the girl. "No harm done," he smiled at her. Tatsumi was fairly certain that if he was still alive he would have been hurt, but in this world he was none the worse for wear.

Despite his reassurance, the girl still seemed quite aghast at her actions. She dropped her bucket and then pulled a towel off her cart and started frantically drying off Tatsumi, "How could I be so dumb? I am so sorry."

Tatsumi just laughed. He lightly took the towel from her hands and then draped the towel over his head, rubbing off the excess water. "It's okay," he smiled. The girl finally calmed down and stepped back, a nervous smile covered her face. Tatsumi gave her a closer look; he realized with a start that her hair wasn't actually orange; she was just covered in a layer of orange dust. To his surprise her hair was actually pink, just like Mine's. The girl blushed under Tatsumi's intense gaze. Tatsumi saw he was making her uncomfortable, "Sorry, you just look a little like someone I am looking for."

The girl finally relaxed, she gave Tatsumi an inquisitive look, "Who are you looking for?"

"Her name is Mine, do you know where she is?" Tatsumi leaned forward eagerly as he waited for her to reply.

At the mention of Mine's name, a flash of pain reflected in her eyes. She seemed hesitant to speak, but after a few seconds she drew some breath and asked, "You wouldn't happen to be Tatsumi, would you?"

At the mention of his name, the entire atmosphere of the crowd changed. Everyone stopped and turned to look at Tatsumi, waiting for his reply. Tatsumi was taken aback by the effect his name had, but he nodded his head in confirmation anyways.

As soon as he did the entire crowd started whispering to each other. Tatsumi quickly scanned the crowd for any sign that things might get violent, but he realized that the crowd wasn't angry. If anything they seemed unsure. After a few seconds the crowd seemed to come to some sort of agreement; after casting one last look at Tatsumi, they all started dispersing and continued pursuing whatever tasks had brought them here.

The girl gave Tatsumi a hard look, almost like she was evaluating him; now it was Tatsumi's turn to blush. The girl seemed to come to some sort of decision too; she gave a small nod and then turned and started walking away from Tatsumi.

Tatsumi was completely stunned by the rapid sequence of events and just stood there, unsure if he was supposed to follow her. After a few steps, the girl stopped and then turned to look at Tatsumi, "Aren't you coming?" she called to him. Tatsumi hesitated for a moment, seeing his uncertainty the girl added, "Mine is this way." With that Tatsumi gladly started following her.

The girl led Tatsumi down so many twists and turns that he quickly lost any sense of direction. Each path they took was heavily populated with colorful stalls and tons of shoppers. Almost everyone they passed would stop and look at Tatsumi briefly, a few even took several steps towards him. But others in the crowd would inevitably stop their neighbors from interrupting his mysterious journey. Finally, Tatsumi couldn't wait any longer "Why is everyone looking at me?"

The girl didn't even break pace while she answered, "We've all heard a lot about you and we just want to see if the man lives up to the legend."

Tatsumi wasn't sure what to say about that so he just kept walking. The further they walked the faster Tatsumi's heart beat. The thought that at any moment Mine could appear, was driving him insane. He tried to distract himself by examining all the shops they walked past. It was so strange because the marketplace felt so familiar, but it was also so different. Some shops he recognized, but others were completely foreign to him. There was a fantastic array of items and foods mingling together. The people who were shopping were clothed in ways Tatsumi had never seen before. The oddest part was that some of them were speaking in languages Tatsumi didn't know, but somehow he could understand what they were all saying.

"It's amazing isn't," the girl's voice startled Tatsumi out of his thoughts, "In our old world, a place like this couldn't have existed." It all finally clicked together in Tatsumi's mind. This place wasn't Mine's paradise because of all the shopping, it was because of all the diversity. Here a thousand cultures mixed together and everyone was treated fairly. This is what Mine had been fighting for.

Tatsumi focused his gaze on the girl in front of him, he realized that he still didn't even know her name. He was drawing breath to ask her, when his heart skipped a beat. He knew where he was.

The alleyway had opened up and there were now standing at the foot of a set of stairs. At the top of the stairs there was a small shop that was selling sweets. Next to the shop was a patio full of seats and tables shaded by umbrellas. At the center of the patio was a massive fountain that was spewing water into the air. Mine had taken him to this exact place once before. This is where she had taken him shopping when he had first joined Night Raid. For once, the area was almost completely deserted. Only one seat was occupied. Tatsumi knew it was her.

She was facing away from him, but she was unmistakable. Her pigtails were lightly flowing in the wind, her familiar pink dress made her stand out in any crowd. But more than that, Tatsumi recognized the feeling he got when he saw her. It was like his heart found a new rhythm. Smells were sharper, colors were brighter; the world seemed to make sense. His body started walking forward without him even noticing. The girl had retreated back down the street they had come from, but Tatsumi didn't notice. He was at the top of the steps and she was right there. After so long she was right there.

"Why?" Her voice froze him. He didn't know what to expect once they were finally reunited. Would she be happy to see him? Would she be the same as he remembered her? He had thought about every possibility, but he wasn't ready to hear her be so cold.

Mine still hadn't moved from her spot, "I thought about you endlessly, I worried about you, I wanted you next to me, I waited for you." The pain in her voice was so evident, but Tatsumi didn't know what he had done. Was she mad that he hadn't finished the fight? Did she regret being with him? The last thought cut through him like a knife.

Finally she turned to face him. His breath caught in his throat. She was so beautiful, but her eyes. Her eyes reflected a sea of emotions. Pain, joy, sadness, despair; they all flashed through her eyes so quickly, they each seemed to be competing for her attention, for her heart. Tatsumi stepped towards her, desperate to hold her, to be with her. She remained unmoving, her hands clenched tightly.

"But I knew, I knew that I had to let you go." Her words actually sent Tatsumi reeling backwards. What did she mean? Let him go? She kept her eyes from meeting his own, looking at anything else but him. "I was dead and you were alive. You were strong. I knew that you were going to see the end of our war. I had to let you find happiness. And if that meant… if that meant falling in love with someone else than I had to let you go." Tatsumi couldn't speak, he had to speak but he couldn't. Her eyes were so full of pain; he could tell she was fighting back tears through sheer force of will.

"And then you died anyways! You died!" She was shouting at him. Her head whipping back and forth as she yelled. Still she wouldn't meet his eyes. "I wanted to be with you so much. But I couldn't!" Tatsumi's heart was ripping apart. What did she mean? Why couldn't he speak? "You… you don't have to be with me." Mine's voice died to a whisper. Tears finally started tracking down her face. "There are so many people in this world," Mine turned away from him and faced the fountain.

Tatsumi tried to step towards her, but a force pushed him back. It was her. She was pushing him back, keeping them apart. Tatsumi fell to his knees; he had to fight just to hold his ground. Tears flowed down his face and splashed onto the pavement.

"Think of all the people out there, think of all the people who could be with you. You deserve to find someone who you can be truly happy with you." Her voice was so low Tatsumi almost couldn't hear it. Mentally, he was screaming out to her, but his voice just wasn't working. Mine turned around and finally met his eyes. There was still so much pain there and tears still stained her face. She slowly reached a hand out towards him, but then quickly pulled it back. "You don't have to love me."

Tatsumi couldn't just let this happen. He summoned all the energy within him and pushed himself off the ground. The force fighting against him was incredible, but he had to get to her. He desperately reached out a hand to her. He stretched his hand further and further, he was so close. Finally he managed to stretch out his hand, and he could just reach her face. But when his fingers brushed against her face, he passed right through her. The world started getting darker, Mine was fading away. He was being taken from her. Still Tatsumi's voice was trapped. He was unable to call out. Tatsumi heart felt like it was ripping apart, to get so close to her and then to be stolen from her before he could say anything was unbearable. Tatsumi tried to draw Mine into his arms, but he just passed right through her. She had almost completely faded away. Still Tatsumi fought. He wouldn't let it end like this, he couldn't!

And then he felt a presence like a hand start pushing on his back. The world stopped fading away. Tatsumi turned to try and see who was there, but he couldn't see anyone. Then he felt more hands pushing him back towards Mine. The world started coming back into focus, started becoming more real. These hands felt so familiar. They reminded him of someone guiding him while he trained, teaching him how to be strong. They reminded him of a friend holding while he cried for those who had died, reassuring him that he wasn't alone. Tatsumi knew that his friends were helping him. Tatsumi added his strength to theirs and forced the world to come into focus. To reunite him with Mine. He used everything he had, everything he was and focused it into one thought. Mine. She was so close, he could see her. He wouldn't leave her alone ever again. Finally Tatsumi and his friends focused all their efforts together and with one final effort threw him back into the world.

Mine turned to face him, surprise etched across her face as he forced himself back into existence. Tatsumi pushed his way towards her, not giving her time to force him away and reached out for her. He knew what he had to do. Tatsumi grabbed onto her shoulders, brought her face to his and kissed her for all he was worth. He kissed her for all the time they were apart. He kissed her for how painful it was to lose her. He kissed her for how good it felt to finally see her again. He kissed her.

Tatsumi didn't know how long their embrace lasted, but it felt like too soon when they separated. Tatsumi stopped her before she could speak. "I can't leave you! You gave me the strength to fight. After you died, I fought for you! I fought to make a world you would be proud of!" Tatsumi's voice was full of all the emotions that had been battling inside him. His voice was full of the pain of losing her, full of the joy of seeing her again, and full of the certainty that he had to be with her. "Don't you understand that it doesn't matter how many people there are?! I have you! I don't have to look for happiness because I already found it!" Mine stood there stunned as these emotions poured out of him. Tatsumi had to make her understand how he felt, without her nothing else mattered. "I do! I do have to love you! Loving you is part of who I am! You made fighting worth it! You made living worth it! You made dying worth it!" Tatsumi finally realized her from his embrace and fell to his knees once more. He sobbed into his hands, too afraid to see what her reaction was. He couldn't imagine existing without her beside him.

"But it hurt so much." Mine finally whispered. Tatsumi forced himself to look into her face and saw pain and fear in her face. "Why did loving you hurt so much?" Mine seemed to be begging him for a reason to let herself love him again.

Tatsumi slowed his mind and forced himself to listen to his heart. He knew that so much hinged on what he said next. "That's how you know it's real," he finally answered, "you love someone so much that losing that person becomes too painful to imagine. But, you love them anyways because not loving them is the only worse than losing them." Tatsumi placed his hand on Mine's face, "I don't know how to stop loving you."

Mine's eyes' were full of tears, but a smile stretched across her face. "Idiot," She whispered to him, "I love you too." They joined together into another kiss, but this kiss was a promise. A promise to never doubt each other again.

When they broke apart from their kiss, Tatsumi and Mine intertwined their hands. They sat down at a table and just leaned their heads together. Content to stay together forever. As they sat, their friends started appearing around them. Bulat and Lubbock were arm wrestling at another table while Chelsea cheered them on. Scheele was blushing furiously as she stole looks at Tatsumi and Mine. Sayo and Ieyasu kept making kissy faces at Tatsumi. The patio started filling up with voices and life, but still Mine and Tatsumi remained together. They knew that there were still things from their lives that they had to confront. They knew that eventually they would be joined by those they had left behind. But for now they just savored being together.

And that was more than enough.

* * *

_AN: There it is. The final chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. And yes this is as far as I want to take this story. I know some of you were asking for chapters with Akame and Esdeath and all the others but this is where I feel the story has finished. For now I have some things that I need to say so here we go._

_Thank you everyone for all you wonderful feedback! You guys inspired me and really helped motivate me to finish this story. I also want to thank Mitch Albom for writing __The Five People You Meet in Heaven__ which helped inspire this work. I also want to thank Yessica-N for her story __the many people you meet in heaven __which also helped inspire this work. I also need to thank StrikeBoss for allowing me to use his artwork for the story cover. Thank you everyone!_

_Also I want to reiterate that I own nothing. None of this is canonical, it is just my own story for the characters that I love._

_My next story that I am working on is a one-shot parody of the ME3 multiplayer. I know that is quite a genre jump but I am really excited to start work on that, so if any of you guys are interested in that then keep an eye out for it._

_Once again I am so thankful to you guys. Feel free to PM me if you guys ever have any questions about my writing process or if you just want to talk. See you guys next time!_


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